Orange Sponge Cake With Easy Orange Meringue - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh orange juice (juice of 1 small orange)
1 teaspoon very finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cake flour
Meringue
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (juice of 1 small orange)
3 egg whites, room temperature (reserved from cake recipe)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small orange, thinly sliced

Preparation

Prep:let eggs come to room temperature,or if in a hurry you can let them sit,whole,in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes.Grease and flour a 9\" cake pan.Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F.
Zest oranges using a small hand held citrus zester or grater;you want the zest very fine so it disperses evenly in the batter with no large pieces.You should be able to get 1 1/2 teaspoons from 2 oranges.Set aside.
Separate 3 of the eggs,setting the whites aside,and combining the yolks with the three whole eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer.
In a small saucepan bring the juice,zest,and butter to a simmer ,just until the butter melts,and remove from heat.
Beat eggs and sugar on high for 5 minutes or until it forms ribbon strands when the beater is lifted.(The strands should fall in a figure eight pattern and be visible for a few seconds before disappearing.).
Transfer beaten eggs to a large mixing bowl gently,and fold in butter-orange juice mixture.Sift 1/3 cup of flour over the egg mixture,fold in gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula,Repeat 2 times until all of the flour is incorporated.
Pour into prepared cake pan.Bake for 20-25 minutes,or until lightly golden at the edges.
Let cool 10 minutes,then turn out onto a rack,and let cool completely.
Meringue: Combine sugar,zest,and juice in a small saucepan,simmer over medium heat,stirring as necessary ,until it reaches 230 F on a candy thermometer.Remove from heat.
Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer,begin to beat on high,as you slowly pour a steady stream of syrup into the bowl.Continue beating until it forms stiff peaks.
When cake is completely cool cut it in half crosswise and transfer bottom half to a cake stand.Frost bottom half with meringue,top with second half,frost top and sides.
Serve with slices of fresh orange.